Refrigerating apparatus



Jan'. 28, 1936. c. A. sTlKEL 2,029,279

REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Filed June 27, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Ins' www;

Jan. 28, 1936. c. A. 's'rlcKEL REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Filed June 27,1934 v2 Sheets-.Sheet 2 Patented Jan. 28, 1936 PATENT oFFicE B.EFRIGERATING APPARATUS Carl A. Stickel, Dayton, Ohio, assignor toGeneral Motors Corporation, Dayton, Ohio, a. corporation of DelawarevApplication June 27, 1934, Serial No. 732,682

9 Claims.

I venience is caused'by the formation of ice bepry the tray from thesupport.

tween the trays and their support in or on the 'freezing unit orevaporator causing the trays to rmly adhere or be bonded to' theevaporator. Heretofore it has been the common practice to loosen thetrays by inserting a pointed lritchenv utensil, such as a knife or thelike,between the tray and its support on the cooling element and Suchpractice damages the trays, the tray supports and the freezing unit andis often ineffective and ultimately requires the use of heat to loosenthe trays. I am aware that other means, such as cam and lever devices,built into the cooling element or incorporated as a part of an ice trayhave been proposed for loosening the trays but these devices have notbeen entirely satisfactory because they become bonded or frozen tightand are sometimes very difficult tc actuate. Moreover these'devices havebeen constructed to be actuated only in a single direction for pryingthe tray loose from its support and it quite frequently happens thatthey becomev inoperativev in the single direction, but if constructed soas to be actuated in a plurality of directions in accord- Aance with theteaching of the present invention they would be rendered operative atall times because there is little likelihood of them being bonded orfrozen tight against movement in more than one direction.

It is therefore an objectl of my invention to provide an improved devicewhich can be easily manipulated to loosen and `remove an ice cube trayfrom its support in or on a cooling element; of a refrigerator Withoutim'uryto either the element, the ice tray or its support.

Another object of my invention is to provide a device of this characterwhich can be incorporated in a coolingelement of a mechanicalrefrigerator in such manner that it` will not interfere with theinsertion of a tray in the element norbecome frozen to the coolingelement when not in use.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a device of thischaracter with the improvement of being capable of movement inl apluposition;

rality of directions to apply force to pry an icev tray looseA from itssupport.

Specifically my invention takes the form of an ice tray with aprojecting portion or reinforcing rim or flange and a device mountedupon but insulated from the cooling element, which device may bemanually manipulated in a plurality of directions to engage theprojecting portion to the rim, or ange in order to pry the ice trayloose from its support.

Further objects and advantages of the-present invention will be apparentfrom the following description, reference being had to theaccompanying'drawings, wherein a preferred form of the present inventionis clearly shown.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a front view of a mechanical refrigerator having my inventionembodied therein;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of the tray releasing device of the presentinvention taken on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1 and showing thedevice innormal Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 and shows the ice vtrayelevated by the releasing device upon movement thereof in one direction;

Fig. e is a view similar to Fig. 2 but shows the ice tray elevated bythe releasing device upon movement thereof' in a direction opposite thatshown in Fig. 3;

Fig. is a sectional view showing the mounting of the tray releasingdevice on the cooling element and is .taken on the line 5--5 of Fig. 2;and

Fig. 6 is a view taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 2 with a. portion of thetray broken away to show association of the tray releasing device withthe tray.

Referring to the drawings, for the purpose of illustrating my invention,I have shown a refrigerator cabinet I0 of any conventional andwell-known type with the door II, which aords access to an insulatedfood storage compartment I2, in open position. .A freezing or coolingunit I4 is mounted in the compartment I2 and has a plurality of supportsI5 formed thereon or therein for the reception of ice trays I6 adaptedto contain a substance to be congealed or frozen by the cooling element.The cooling unit or evaporator may be of any well-known type and ispreferably of the sheet metal variety. `The freezing or cooling unit I4is adapted to be connected by suitable pipes or conduits in a closedrefrigerating system including a refrigerant liquefying and circulatingunit of any conventional design partment provided in a lower portion ofthe reincludes a mounting block 22 secured by rivets .l

sheet metal walls of the evaporator or cooling unit I4 in any suitableanner, such as by soldering or welding the rivets or studs 23 to thecooling element. (See Figs. 2 and `5.) The mounting block 22 ispreferably constructed of a `non-metallic material such as micarta,bake-= lite or the like insulating material for insulating or isolatingthe tray releasing device 20 from the wall of the cooling element I4 toprevent heat transference therebetween and consequently preventingfrosting up or freezing tight of the device. A flat spring 24 has itsone end 25 secured to the inner edge of block 22 by a rivet or screw 26.The spring 24 traverses the top of block 22 and the opposite end 21thereof is riveted, by rivets, or otherwise secured to an arm 2q toconnect the arm29 to the block and to normally hold the arm in retractedrposition vout of the way of the ice tray. 'I'he arm 29 is constructed,throughout the major portion of its length, of angle iron sheet metaland includes an up-turned portion or linger 3| at its inner end and abent handle portion 32 at its front end. The'portion of the arm 29intermediate its ends 3| and 32 is normally held in a horizontalposition by the spring 24. A nger or upturned member 34 may be formed'on the arm 29 at a suitable distance intermediate the mounting block 22and the handle portion 32 of arm 29. In the present disclosure thefinger member 34 is shown as a separate part and secured to the arm 29by rivets 29 which attach the end 21 of spring 24 to the arm.

'The ice trays I6 are of the usual or conventional design .and includea. rounded-over reinforcing top edge or rim 35 which extends entirelyaround the trays and at the front forms a handle 36 for facilitating theplacing of the trays upon the supports I5 and removal thereof from theevaporatoror cooling element I4. Preferably the trays have thin flexiblemetal walls which will permit warping or flexing of the trays. 'Ihetrays I6 have side walls which slant or converge outwardly from thebottom tothe top of the tray. 'I'he trays are preferably provided withrubber grids to enable the ice cubes to be broken loose from the wallsof the traybywarping the tray. It will be noted that the spring 24 byholding the arm 29.in its normal or horizontal position maintains thefingers 3| and 34 outof contact with the ice trays I6. 'Ihe fingers 3|and 34 of arm 29 are normally positioned below the downwardly turnededge of rim 35 on the trays` I6 to prevent interference of the fingerswith the rim 35 during the act of slidably inserting the tray I6 uponits support I5 or during the act of slidably reor studs 23 to theinneurface of the dlouble moving a tray from its support.

My improved ice tray releasing device 20 has a. double action or, inother words, it may be reciprocated in an upward and/or in a downwarddirection for prying atray loose from its support.

ward movement of the handle end 32 of arm 29 causes the arm to be rockedupon the mounting block 22, or in other words arm 29 is pivoted aboutthe one corner 33 of block- 22 as shown in Fig. 4. This rocking of arm29 about the mounting block 22 causes the inner end of arm 29 to beelevated and, since the ngers 3| and 34 are in vertical alignment withthe rim 35 formed on tray I6, the finger 3| will engage the underside ofrim 35. Thus force applied to the handle 32 will be transmitted by arm29 and linger 3| to the ice tray I6 to pry the tray loose from itssupport I5 as illustrated in Fig. 3 of the drawings. When the operatorreleases handle 32 the arm 29 will be automatically returned to itsnormal position, as shown in Fig. 2, by the spring 24. The prying actionis along one side of the tray I6 near the corner thereof causing thewarping or flexing of the tray and is therefore effective for breakingan ice bond between the tray and its support because the flexible trayis substantially peeled away from the support. Thus my improved trayreleasing device will pry the tray loose with less force than cam orlever devices which transmit the force to a tray at the longitudinalvertical center 'thereof or evenly at both sides of the tray. This willalso break the ice cubes loose from the walls of the tray by the warpingor flexing action.

While I have provided means for insulating or isolating the trayreleasing device 20 from the wall of the cooling element I4 to preventsticking or freezing tight of the device it quite frequently happensthat it is desirable or more convenient to elevate or push the handle 32upwardlyl instead of downwardly as heretofore described. Therefore mytray releasing device 29 is provided with a double action in order tofacilitate operation thereof either in a downward or in an upwarddirection. When it is desired to remove an ice tray |6 from the coolingelement I4, which tray has become bonded or frozen to its support I5,the handle end 32 of arm 29 may be operated or moved in an upwarddirection. The upward movement ofyhandle end 32 of arm 23 causes the armto be rocked upon the mounting block 22, or in other words arm 29, ispivoted about the one corner 39 of block 22 as shown in Fig. 3. Thisrocking movement of arm 29 about the mounting block causes the outwardend of arm 23 to be elevated, and since the nger 34 is in verticalalignment with the rim 35 formed on tray I6, the iinvger 34 will engagethe underside of rim 35. Force applied to the handle 32 will betransmitted by arm 29'and nger 34 to the tray |6 to pry the tray loosefrom its support I5 as illustrated i'n Fig. 3 of the drawings. 'Ihehandle 32 upon being released by the operator, preparatory to graspingthe tray` I6 and slidably removing same from its support I5, will bereturned to its normal position shown in Fig. 2 by the spring 24.Obviously therefore my device can be operated in an upward direction torelease the tray from its support as well as in a downward direction.

From the foregoing it will become apparent that I have lprovided animproved device for breaking an ice bond betweena tray and its supe portin a mechanical refrigerator. 1 My improved device in addition to havinga double action or in other words, being capable of movement in anupward and/or in a downward direction fort-releasing a tray from itssupport, isconstructed so as to be isolated from or normally maintainedout of contact with the ice tray and insulated from the cooling elementwhereby the device is rensingle acting devices by aoaaavo dered operableunder varying conditions. The means or spring 2i has the novel doublefunction of normally maintaining the releasing device out of contactwith the ice tray and of returning the arm 29 of the device to itsnormal or horizontal position after the arm has been manipulated ormoved into either the upward or downward dimaking the tray releasingdevice double acting,v

instead of single acting as in prior devices, it is unnecessary toremember in which direction it must be operated and diii'iculties causedin prior attempted manipulation in the wrong direction and damageresulting therefrom to the device is thus avoided.

While the form of embodiment of the invention as herein disclosed,constitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that other formsmight bev adopted, all coming within the scope of the claims whichfollow.

What is claimed is as follows:

1. A refrigerating apparatus comprising in combination, a coolingelement having a support for anice tray, an ice tray positioned on saidsupport, and means carried by said cooling element and adapted to engagesaid tray to release the tray from its support, said means beingrockably y mounted on said cooling element and adapted to y be actuatedeither in a downward or in an upward direction about its mounting to prythe tray loose from its support.

2. A refrigerating apparatus comprising in combination, a cooling memberhaving a support for an ice tray member, an ice tray member positionedon said support, and means movably mounted upon one of said members forapplying force to said ice tray member to release same from its support,said means being insulated from both of`said members and adapted to beactuated either in a downward or in an upward direction about itsmounting to pry the tray member loose from itssupport.

3. A refrigerating apparatus4 comprising in combination a coolingelement having a. support for an ice tray, an ice tray positioned onsaid support, and means rockably mounted upon said cooling element forapplying force to said ice tray to release same from its support, saidmeans being normally out of contact with said ice tray and insulatedfrom said cooling unit and adapted to be actuated either in a downwardor in an upward direction about its mounting to pry the tray loose fromits support.

A. A refrigerating apparatus comprising in combination, a coolingelement having a support for an ice tray, an ice tray positioned on saidsupport, means rockably mounted upon said cooling element for applyingforce to said tray to release same from its support, said means beingadapted to be actuated either in a downward or in an upward directionabout its mounting to engage and pry the tray loose from its support,means for insulating said first named means from said cooling element,and means for normally maintaining said iirst named means out of contactwith said ice tray and for returning same to normal position afterhaving been actuated to release the tray.

5. A refrigerating apparatus comprising in combination, a coolingelement having a support for an ice tray, an ice tray positioned on saidsupport, a lever rockably mounted upon said cooling element for applyingforce to said tray to release same from its support, said lever beingadapted to b e actuated either in a downward or in an upward directionabout its mounting to cause engagement of a portion thereof with saidtray to pry the tray loose from its support, said lever mounting beingconstructed of insulating material to isolate the lever from saidcooling element, and a spring for normally maintaining said lever out ofcontact with said ice tray and for returning the lever to normalposition after it has been actuated to release the tray.

6. A refrigerating apparatus comprising in combination, a coolingelement having a support for an ice tray, an ice tray positioned on saidsupport, means rockably mounted upon said cooling element for applyingforce to said tray to release same from its support, said means beingadapted to be actuated either in a downward or in an upward directionabout its mounting to pry the tray loose from its support, and means fornormally maintaining said first named means out of contact with said icetray and for returning same to normal position after having beenactained to release the tray.

7. A refrigerating apparatus comprising in combination, a coolingelement having a support for an ice tray, an ice tray positioned on saidsupport, and means associated with said ice tray and said coolingelement for applying force to said tray at a point remote from thelongitudinal vertical centr thereof to release the tray from itssupport, said means being rockably mounted and adapted to be actuatedeither in a downward or in an upward direction about its mounting tosubstantially peel the tray loose from its support.

8. A refrigerating apparatus comprising in combination, a coolingelement having a support for an ice tray, an ice tray positioned on saidsupport, and a lever associated with said ice tray and said coolingelement for applying force to said tray at a point remote from thelongitudinal vertical center thereof to release the tray from itssupport, said lever being rockably mounted and adapted to be actuatedeither in a downward or in an upward direction about its mounting tosubstantially peel the tray loose from its support.

9. A refrigerating apparatus comprising in combination, a coolingelement having a support for an ice tray, an ice tray positioned on saidsupport, and means carried by the cooling element in position to engagesaid tray at a point remote from the longitudinal vertical centerthereof to apply force to release the tray from its support, said meansbeing mounted to be actuated in either of two opposite directionsl tosubstantially peel the tray loose from its support on movement in eitherof said two directions.

CARL A. STICKEL.

